Our Native Landscape Management Apprenticeship Program is evolving! We’re excited to share a rebrand of sorts. We will continue our partnership with The Howard School, and our high school students will continue their growth and professional development within the program. Moving forward, high school participants will now be part of our Pre-Apprenticeship Program. This spring, our first senior participant, Jahore Vann, will graduate from high school and become our very first official Apprentice. This new structure allows students who wish to continue after high school to further develop their leadership, professional, and certification-based skills once they turn 18.

Before the start of the new school year, our pre-apprentices celebrated the end of summer with both a challenge and a new skill-building experience. They completed the 3.9-mile hike to Sunset Rock via the Kiddie Trail, which begins at Reflection Riding. With over 1,200 feet of elevation gain, the hike can be challenging — but the stunning view at the top made the effort well worth it.

The pre-apprentices also enjoyed a canoe trip as part of their end-of-summer celebration. During the trip, they learned and practiced how to execute a T-rescue — a technique in which one canoe is used to assist someone who has fallen into the water. This training helps build confidence on the water while providing valuable safety skills that support our year-round educational canoe programs.

Once the school year began, the pre-apprentices’ work schedule shifted to Saturdays only, allowing them to focus on school, extracurricular activities, and coursework during the week. Since summer, they have assisted with numerous projects and events while continuing their professional development. Recent workshops have included budgeting, résumé writing, and job interview preparation.

*Our pre-apprentices help plant trees across the City of Chattanooga!*

The pre-apprentices also had the opportunity to partner with the City of Chattanooga by planting trees alongside the Chattanooga Tree Project. On December 13, Reflection Riding joined the Chattanooga Tree Project for a tree planting event in the Ridgedale neighborhood. With trees provided through EPB, the pre-apprentices helped plant six fruitless Osage orange trees in neighborhood green spaces. Both the Chattanooga Tree Project crew and the City of Chattanooga staff were highly impressed with the pre-apprentices and eager to learn more about the program. In fact, they invited the group to participate in a second planting event later that same day. That afternoon, the pre-apprentices planted a variety of trees at Eastdale Park, where a friendly “boys vs. girls” competition emerged. The boys planted four trees, while the girls planted three.

In addition to their hard work, the pre-apprentices enjoyed time together by rolling and racing down the park’s grassy hills — a well-earned moment of fun. For the 2026 MLK Day of Service, the Reflection Riding team, including the pre-apprentices, once again joined the Chattanooga Tree Project to plant six additional trees at Tacoa Park.

The pre-apprentices have also supported several Reflection Riding events, including our Fall Campfire Concert Series. They assisted with the s’mores station and fire tending, even receiving a fire-starting lesson from our Naturalists in preparation for the concerts.

In October, the pre-apprentices participated in the Tennessee River Rescue. One pre-apprentice joined staff in a canoe to collect litter, while others assisted volunteers with safely entering and exiting canoes. Additional team members helped remove litter from our seasonal wetland. They also supported our fundraising Chili Championship by managing compost and recycling stations.

On Reflection Riding’s campus, the pre-apprentices have supported and spearheaded several projects. Each Saturday morning, they assist our full-time Naturalist, Paul, with Project Rewild — a volunteer program focused on invasive plant removal and habitat restoration. This program highlights the small but meaningful actions we can all take to rewild our shared spaces, both on campus and at home.

The pre-apprentices also help manage our Nature Playscapes. Each participant has taken ownership of one of the four playscape areas, resetting and refreshing natural materials on a regular basis. They add new elements such as sticks, tree cookies, and fresh bamboo stalks, encouraging creativity and exploration for our guests. In addition, they maintain surrounding areas by mulching paths and removing trip hazards, poison ivy, and invasive plant species.

In preparation for a spring prescribed fire, the pre-apprentices are assisting staff by removing sweetgum trees from an area known as Sheets Sward. The long-term goal for this space is to maintain a meadow habitat while developing a “mother garden” for plants grown for our native plant nursery. Using loppers and hand saws, the pre-apprentices cut small sweetgum trees which are later treated to prevent regrowth.

During winter break, the pre-apprentices received a lesson on ferns and their reproductive processes from former Naturalist Emily Jackson. The group explored campus in search of various fern species and examined spores — the starting point of the fern life cycle.

As our native plant nursery prepares for the busy spring and summer seasons, the pre-apprentices have also been lending a hand by repotting plants. Most recently, they repotted lanceleaf coreopsis and aromatic aster.

Going forward, we’re excited to see what the spring season brings to our pre-apprentices!